ld see the
beautiful plane and way of sanctification. My loved ones were walking on
it and rejoicing in its glory. Above the chasm there seemed suspended a
rope securely fastened and strong enough to hold my weight, and it
seemed that I could easily take hold of this rope and by a desperate
effort swing myself across the chasm. I had taken hold of the rope and
was for a long time hesitating about making the leap. The chasm was the
depth I must drop into in order to reach sanctification, but it seemed
awful--so deep and dark, and no assurance that I would ever see life
again. The rope was my will. I had presumed to swing across without
going into the death, but God knew that would not be his way, and there
I stood, gazing with fear and trembling into the immensity of this dark
chasm into which to leap meant certain death. Later I had taken hold of
the rope and swung myself away from where I had been standing, with the
hope of reaching the other side. I could not reach it and now was worse
off than before, for I was now suspended above the chasm and could
neither go back nor go forward. There I was hanging and swinging,
holding on for life, and yet the Holy Spirit kept saying, "Let go."

My sufferings increased until I began to feel that death would be a
relief. At that time God sent a brother to us who preached a sermon from
the text, 1 Peter 4:1, 2, with emphasis upon the clause, "For he that
hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin." The Holy Spirit
applied this to me and revealed to my soul the utter necessity of death
to gain sanctification. The end came, I let go my death grip of the rope
and said as I never said before, "Yes, Lord, thy will be done!" I knew
that it reached the uttermost depth of my soul. God knew it, and I am
certain that Satan knew it. At the close of that meeting I said, "I am
now offered up." There was no conscious change only I knew my will was
yielded, and I am certain that not an atom of earth existed between God
and me. We went home late in the evening, and as I was retiring I knelt
once more before God and simply told him that now after these months of
struggle it was all ended and I was so thankful to him that I could say
so sweetly, "Thy will be done." My hold upon the rope had become so
weary. How sweet and blessed now to rest so securely in that infinite
will. The great chasm was deep and dark, but I was so glad that I had
let go and dropped into it; for I was so conscious now tha